hip replacement

Hello,
My ortho said I need hip replacement. He said it has been misaligned for years and is wore down to the bone AND the bone is missing chunks. The crackling is little pieces of bone in the joint. The pain it tolerable but I have a high tolerance for pain. I was back to full activities in less than 2 weeks after a full hysterectomy and only took 1 day off work to have kidney stones surgically removed. I had gastric surgery a few years ago and cannot take oral narcotics so I have learned to live with pain.
I am the computer tech for a library system. This is pretty active moving computers and crawling under tables. I also have desk duty where I am working the public service desk 4 hour stretches. The standing for 4 hours is harder than the walking.
My daily activities are limited to WORK because that is all I can get through with the pain. I was walking the dog 3 miles a day but now not at all. I do not go to shopping centers or malls because it is too much walking.
The pain has started radiating down the thigh and feels hot to touch from hip to knee. I take very short steps because I feel the hip wiggle in the joint and it feels unstable. Like if I take too big a step it will not hold up.
However the pain it tolerable. My biggest complaint is I never get enough sleep. 3-4 hours is a good night. I am always tired.
Doc said I need total hip replacement and will need to be off work for 3 months. I just cannot take off that much right now. Other option is to clean out the crumbled pieces and delay THR; this would only be 3-4 days off work.
It is hard for me to make this jump as long as I am tolerating the pain. The PCP who knows me said that I should not use pain as the only indicator because I have a high tolerance for pain. Ortho said a fall could easily break my hip due to so may cracks and weak spots.
I know I need it but.......... I am not sure it is time. I need some advice. The wobbly feeling is pretty new, feeling unstable when I walk is kinda odd.
thanks

You'll know when its time for surgery.
I had a THR left 10 months ago. I did not work at the time. I could hardly walk
50 feet. Today I walked 2 miles. Its been amazing for me.
Everyone is different though.
Good luck.

That is amazing. I am inspired. For me the pain is managable. Doc said for me to not let pain to be the only thing. Latest xray showes a new v shaped chunk missing about an inch wide. And a stress fracture in both hip and leg bone. That is the cause of the new unsteady feeling. I just feel it does not hurt bad enough yet.

Do not wait until you have no solid bone in which to put the hip implant. I am not an expert on this, but it seems to me if your bones are that brittle, that should be addressed first. The longer you wait the weaker you will be.
If I am out of line here, someone let me know.

I was told I need my hip replaced also, I am having it done July 2nd of this year. Sometimes my pain is horrible and other times i can handle it. I have lost over 50 pounds to help with the pain and exercise to get in shape for the surgery. I was told i would only be in the hopsital 2 days and PT 3 times a week at my home and Doc said he would have me back to work in 3 weeks ( I am an Office manager so I am at a desk, but i do run around alot, i wont be able to for at least 3 more weeks after that) I am very nervous about it all but I have to get it done, i have bone on bone on my left hip, and night time is very bad for me too. I know 3 people who have had it done and they wished they did it sooner, so I think you should go and talk about scheduling it. It;s not going to get better, only worse. Keep me posted and good luck!

I was told I need my hip replaced also, I am having it done July 2nd of this year. Sometimes my pain is horrible and other times i can handle it. I have lost over 50 pounds to help with the pain and exercise to get in shape for the surgery. I was told i would only be in the hopsital 2 days and PT 3 times a week at my home and Doc said he would have me back to work in 3 weeks ( I am an Office manager so I am at a desk, but i do run around alot, i wont be able to for at least 3 more weeks after that) I am very nervous about it all but I have to get it done, i have bone on bone on my left hip, and night time is very bad for me too. I know 3 people who have had it done and they wished they did it sooner, so I think you should go and talk about scheduling it. It;s not going to get better, only worse. Keep me posted and good luck!

Hi babydoll233:
I don't want to rain on your parade, but I think your doctor is overly optimistic thinking you will be back at work in 3 weeks after your hip replacement. There is no way I could have done that after either of my hip replacements.
If it would be possible for you to spend a week or so at a rehab place, I think that would be more helpful than the 3 times a week home PT. Perhaps others here will comment too. For each hip replacement I spent time at a rehab facility. The first time 2 weeks, the second hip, one week. There is nothing like it for fast recovery. You get PT there twice a day and your meds are handled by nurses and all meals prepared for you, plus the social contact with others going through the same thing. You are taught how to handle dressing, etc.
My health insurance paid for this and for them it was cheaper than paying for a return to the hospital in case of complications or injury.

__________________
Had two hip replacements about a year apart - the last one being August 2009.

I was walking 1/2 mile walks 3 times a day just 6 days after my hip replacement. I was cleared to drive at the 2-week post op exam and returned to work as an attorney the next day. It'd been 4-weeks since my surgery, On Sunday I did a 2.2 mile hike and road my recumbent trike 3 miles. I don't need a cane or walker.

So yes, it is possible to return to work in 3 weeks after a total hip replacement.

I obviously had a very skilled surgeon to have had such a great recovery. But he also is recovery focused beyond the operating room. Two things he does for his patients that some of the other doctors don't do are:

1. He covers the new joint with a numbing agent that last about 48 hours after surgery. He tells you to take advantage of that pain free window to get up and start PT as soon as possible. I was up using as walker to go to the bathroom and sit in the recliner just 2 hours after surgery. I had my first PT session just 4 hours after surgery.

2. He prescribes an Iceman cold therapy machine for all his patients. When you wake up from the general anesthesia it is already wrapped around your hip and providing cold therapy. He tells his patients to keep it on whenever you are in your room sitting or in bed, even while sleeping, and then to use it as often as possible (but not while sleeping) at home after discharge. It significantly reduces swelling and pain, which allows for a more intense rehab session and quicker recovery.

And of course he uses the anterior approach for the surgery which has been shown to be a quicker recovery.